Letters to the Editor published Saturday, March 26, 2011

If you are wondering how you can help, please remember our local food bank.

We will, no doubt, feel the impact of this disaster for weeks and months to come. But our need at the food bank is now! Our resources and budget are already stretched to the max.

We serve all who need us without question, so please help us to continue feeding those who depend on us each month as well as new clients who never thought they would need our services.

You can drop off donations at 539 Hemlock, between Fern and Willow ­– oceanside.

There will be smiling faces to help you unload and big “thank yous” from our staff and the whole community.

Maureen Kee, volunteer, Brookings-Harbor Community Food Bank

No one served by vicious comments

Editor:

It was good to read the thoughtful letter from Gary Hartung (Pilot, March 23) about the tone from a handful of folks who feel called upon to put the world right through vicious commentary.

No one is served by such ravings, except perhaps the writer who gets to let out a little steam and see their words in print.

Shirley Hyatt

Brookings

Convert threatened land to public land

Editor:

Are we reducing government spending for research and education before our Great Cascadia Earthquake and Gigantic Tsunami?

Will we promote ignorance so people can build housing developments, industrial parks, etc., in low areas where subsidence turn them into floating trash?

Is it too politically difficult and expensive to convert areas to wildlife preserves that have a history of subsidence with the swath of destruction where tsunamis push ocean water uphill, at least 80 feet, and up-river and stream valleys?

What will we do when subsidence decreases property values to zero, with no tax payments for land physically underwater? What will happen to our ability to pay property taxes, mortgages, and income taxes after the damaging earthquake and tsunami? Will people get insurance payments for lost land, damaged cars, houses, boats, agricultural and industrial buildings, equipment, and production items?

When we look at the damage the M9, with giant tsunami caused, to Japan, and anticipate a similar future of Cascadia, don’t we wonder about the immense destructive loss of taxpayers and their ability to pay taxes to support our government? It seems less expensive for us to convert threatened land to public land now and continue research and education about Cascadia earthquake-tsunami hazards.

Donna Goss

Harbor

Loss of life if cuts are made

Editor:

This is in response to the letter concerning the cutting the budget of the warning center (Pilot, March 23).

The sky is falling, the sky is falling and it’s all the fault of the Brookings-Harbor Tea Party! Please, give me a break! The facts are: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the parent agency of the Pacific Tsumani Warning Center (PTWC). They have a propsed budget of $5.5 billion. Cuts propsed by the House of Representatives is $454 million, which would leave it with a budget larger than it was in 2008. The National Weather Service Employees Organization (even weathermen are unionized) is predicting there will be loss of life if these cuts are made. I submit there will be loss of life even if their budget is doubled.

If you are concerned about the funding/staffing of PTWC contact NOAA. They are the ones administrating the program.

Allan W. Stewart

Brookings

Collecting items for Honduras kids

Editor:

Some of us in the Oregon component of Caminando por la Paz will be going to Chamelecon, Honduras in early April.

This program was started to keep kids out of the rampant and deadly gangs in southern San Pedro Sula. The program now includes housing projects, tuition scholarships for kids of all ages and other supportive programs. Caminando is like a big family, and now they want a soccer team.

As every year, our people down there have sent us a wish list of incidentals and necessaries that they can’t always afford. This year, Isis and Hector want to provide soccer outfits for the kids in the program. Their needs are modest; the uniforms do not have to match and any soccer cleats would be better than the bare feet they often play in.

I am asking all you soccer- playing families: Do you have cleats to pass on? There are several different sizes needed. We are also needing soccer shirts, small and medium and large in youth sizes, small in adult sizes. I would like to stick to blue and maybe green shades, so there is at least some continuity. In addition, in the next week or so watch for our table where you shop. We will be out collecting donations of toiletries and other inexpensive items.

For more information call Valerie, 541-254-1750, or 541-469-9238.

Valerie Cowan

Brookings

VVA will no longer sponsor fireworks

Editor:

Citizens of Brookings-Harbor: After a very good 15-year run, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 757 of Brookings will no longer be sponsoring the annual Fireworks Spectacular on 4th of July at the harbor.

We have sought to have a replacement organization take the lead in producing the show, but no one has stepped forward.

In 2009 we announced “This will be our last show,” and tried to show that the Fireworks Spectacular brought in millions of dollars to our community each year. But because of public outcry, we went the extra step, and did it one more time, in 2010.

Now, it appears there will be no show in Brookings-Harbor this year. Our business community and the citizens of Brookings-Harbor will suffer the loss.

We regret this decision, but we, (V.V.A. members), are getting fewer as time rolls on, and we are getting older. We appreciate the help we’ve had over the years, from everyone who added their support. But now is the time to turn over the task to someone else.